Ecclesiastes

Overcast morning
The sound of two crows cawing
In the windless warmth

Dew upon the Douglas Fir
Seen through the venetian blinds

After a moment
He returns to his laptop
To check his email

Rolling out of a driveway,
The neighbor's new S.U.V.

Bright in the moonlight
Of the waxing gibbous moon
Keeping track of time

Her mother-in-law's birthday
Coincides with golden leaves

At the gift shop
Rows and rows of greeting cards
For all occasions

Reading Ecclesiastes
The minister takes comfort

Even though the snow
Lies in drifts upon the ground
And the sky is gray

Unexpectedly the mist
Rises in the warm March air

Around the plum tree
A few petals have fallen
From a few branches

Two friends have to acknowledge
That they are now far apart